The Tree's Legacy
by Autumn Win-Dow
Summary: During the first Christmas Ball since the downfall of the ESP, Mikan finds Natsume waiting for her in a familiar location.


**_The Tree's__ Legacy_**

The Christmas Ball started with such a blast of colours in the wide hall. Mikan nervously smoothed out her light brown Christmas dress and tucked a stray strand of her chestnut brown hair behind her ear before entering. The atmosphere felt so much similar to the Christmas Ball two years ago - dancing, delicious food, and the beautiful Christmas tree in the centre, standing tall and centre. _The tree… _She smiled to herself, reminiscing about the memories she had during Gakuen Alice Christmases. However, there was one difference between this ball and Mikan's first ball - Kuonji was no longer present.

Mikan saw a familiar head of pink next to one of blue nearby, and she eagerly skipped towards them.

"Hello Anna-chan, Nonoko-chan!" She rejoiced at her good friends, who turned and smiled at her in return.

"Mikan-chan!" They simultaneously greeted. "You look so cute!" Mikan didn't show it, but she was very flattered with the compliment.

"Thank you! You two look cute as well!" The girls squealed - a bit too loudly - and they scooted over to where Misaki-sensei was standing. She couldn't help but smile at her friends' persistence. Some would think that a crush on a teacher would soon fade away after two years, but it didn't seem the case for Anna and Nonoko. She turned her head and found Ruka with his bunny being teased by Tsubasa, Tono and Misaki. Mikan curiously wondered why Ruka was so red in the face, and she wandered over to them.

"Hello, Ruka-pyon! What's going on?" He hesitated in his reply due to Mikan staring at him with her deep brown orbs, and his seniors eagerly waiting for his response.

"I-I-It's j-just… don't w-worry." Mikan felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at her sempai Tsubasa who had an amused look on his face.

"Don't worry, Mikan-chan. It's nothing important." She saw that Misaki and Tono were bearing the same expression as Tsubasa, and she decided to leave the confusing matter alone.

"I wonder where Natsume is…" Ruka muttered, his flush fading from his face. _Oh yeah… I haven't seen him all day. I wonder where Hotaru is as well…_

"I'll go find him!" She offered, and walked away from the group, allowing the 'Watching Over Ruka Club' to tease him again about his still-existent love for her.

Mikan strolled around the ball, and she noticed the stage where the principals sat, and as she expected, the ESP's chair remained empty. She quickly glanced away at the seat where such a horrible man used to sit in, and she caught the eyes of Hii-sama, Shiki, and her uncle. She waved excitedly, and the three assertively returned the greeting with respect. Now knowing that she was attending the Christmas Ball with everyone she loved - Hotaru, Ruka, Kazumi, Natsume - thrilled her to the core. Unlike the year before, when she was restrained in a tower by Kuonji after Yuka's death, she was now surrounded with everybody. Mikan smiled to herself, amazed at her luck in the past year, and she finally located Hotaru munching on a wide slice of Christmas cake.

"Hotaru!"

_BAKA!_

Mikan touched the spot where Hotaru had hit her with her 'Baka Gun 3000' and started to whine.

"Hotaru! It's Christmas! That hurt." Hotaru remained indifferent as she took out her camera and started to take pictures of a very embarrassed Ruka at the other side of the room.

"That'll sell." Mikan sighed at her best friend still maintaining her business mode, and she walked off to find Natsume.

_Where could he be…? _She mentally wondered as she stopped by the tall Christmas tree. _I wonder…_ She grabbed the nearest branch and pulled herself up. She continued to climb, and a few branches later she saw the familiar raven-black hair of her boyfriend.

"There you are, Natsume." She called out, and because of his stillness, she pulled herself up to his branch.

"Why are you up here?" Natsume glanced at her and scowled. She stared at his dark tresses carelessly scattered along his forehead, and his sharp ruby eyes stared off into the distance.

"You should know, Mikan." Their conversation halted with a strange, but peaceful silence.

"How do you like the party?" She asked him in an attempt to start a friendly conversation.

"It's too crowded." Mikan was about to sigh at his blatant response, but she held it back because of an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

After looking around where they were sitting, Mikan noticed something.

"We were just like this two years ago, huh? Only that… we kissed then." That perked Natsume's full interest. He stared at his girlfriend longingly - her facial features had also changed since _her_ last Christmas Ball. However, she had decided to let down her chestnut brown locks - how he liked it - and her deep hazel eyes remained cheerful yet understanding. Suddenly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her tender ones. The girl gasped at his unexpected action and she felt her face bloom with heat, but she melted into the kiss willingly.

His hand that was used to burn the ESP was now gently holding her neck.

Her fingers that she held her dead mother's body with were now tangled in his hair.

He reluctantly pulled away from the sweet kiss, and she tried to gather her thoughts after the passionate moment.

"W-What was that…?" Natsume smirked as he pulled his hand away from her neck.

"You haven't noticed? I'm just reliving what happened last year… and the year before." Mikan froze as he jumped off the branch, into the life of the party.

_Oh yeah… my first kiss was exactly two years ago… and I became his girlfriend exactly one year ago…_ Mikan smiled at her boyfriend's actions.

To both of them, it was indeed a very merry Christmas.

* * *

><p>AN: Ugh. I found this one-shot lying around so... I uploaded it. I don't think it's any good so... please rate and review this story anyway! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everybody! :)


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